


Happy Birthday, Noctis

by midnightninja14



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Birthday Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Happy Ending, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-25
Updated: 2017-09-25
Packaged: 2019-01-05 04:46:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12183153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnightninja14/pseuds/midnightninja14
Summary: Noctis has what is probably the best birthday experience ever.





	Happy Birthday, Noctis

**Author's Note:**

> -walks in horrendously late with about 5 Starbucks lattes-
> 
> sO. Let's uh, pretend that this was finished a lot sooner? ^^;; School started up again recently, plus I have a job and I'm doing research, so I have very little time to write sometimes, rip. But!! I finally finished this, thank god, I wanted my sweet boy to have the happiest birthday ever!!
> 
> Shout out to [The_Asset6](http://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Asset6/pseuds/The_Asset6) for being a sweetheart and helping me out! <3

When Noctis woke up in the morning, it was to the delicious smell of something cooking. He blinked his eyes open blearily, idly wondering why he hadn’t woken up to an alarm or Ignis gently shaking him awake. Managing to roll himself out of bed, he stopped to freshen up in the bathroom before he made his way to the kitchen.

He wasn’t really surprised to see Ignis standing there, cooking away for him. A plate of fresh pancakes was on the counter, and Noctis could feel his stomach rumble at the site of them. Letting out a yawn, Noct leaned against the doorway. “Morning.”

“Good morning, Noct.” Ignis turned to face him with a smile, seemingly happy that the prince had managed to wake up somewhat early by himself. “Please, have a seat.”

Stretching his arms upward, he moved to one of the seats at the other counter, sitting down and watching Ignis as he put some of the fluffy pancakes into a separate dish. It seemed like Ignis was done making pancakes, and now was just dividing the stack for the two of them--wait, was that a bottle of chocolate syrup and new can of… _whipped cream_ on the counter? Ignis turned to the opposite counter from where Noct was sitting, blocking Noct’s view of the plate with his body. Noctis watched curiously, trying to peek around Ignis’s body to see what he was doing with the whipped cream and the syrup, grumbling when he couldn’t see anything.

Instead, he decided to take a video of Ignis, putting different filters over the frame and trying to settle on one when he landed on the flower crown filter, just as Ignis turned around. Noct watched with wide eyes, starting the video as Ignis came over with the pancakes, ones with whipped cream on top and chocolate syrup. He had even used the sauce to spell out, “ _Happy birthday_!”

Oh. Well, that explained it. Clearly Noctis wasn’t fully awake yet.

“Happy birthday, Your Highness.” Ignis placed the plate down in front of him, and Noct could feel his mouth water at the sight.

“Thanks, Iggy. These look amazing.” Noctis grinned up at his childhood friend, “And I’m sure they taste amazing too, since you made ‘em. Probably better than the Citadel chefs could ever make.”

Ignis adjusted his glasses with a hand and averted his eyes, clearing his throat. A familiar sign that he was embarrassed at the praise, which made Noct huff in amusement. “Well, I’m glad you think so, though I’m certain the palace chefs could make them better than I could.”

“Doubt it,” Noct said with a shrug, and Ignis only shook his head at the prince, a fond look in his eyes.

Noctis’s gaze fell to his phone’s screen, remembering then that he had been taking a video. He watched as the short clip replayed, smirking at the flower crown that appeared on Ignis’s head thanks to the filter. It seemed he had timed it perfectly, as the video consisted of Ignis turning and revealing the delicious looking pancakes, him wishing Noct a happy birthday and Noct thanking him. Noctis quickly saved the video before putting it in his personal Snapchat story and sending it to Ignis individually, shutting off his phone and finally grabbing a fork to start eating. Ignis sat beside him with his own plate of pancakes (which lacked all the sugar packed onto Noct’s), and he pulled out his phone, presumably to check if he’d gotten any emails. Narrowing his eyes at the notification from Snapchat, he opened up the app the check the video, letting out an exasperated sigh while Noct continued to nonchalantly eat his breakfast.

“Noct…” Ignis eyed him with an arched brow, and Noctis blinked at him, the perfect picture of innocence if not for the mischief in his blue eyes.

“What? It was a good video! You really rock that flower crown, Specs,” Noctis joked, bumping his shoulder against Ignis’s, and Ignis bumped his back.

Ignis let out another dramatic sigh, but there was a smile playing on his lips as he slipped his phone away and began to eat. It was possibly fifteen minutes later when the doorbell rang, and Ignis stopped eating, his eyebrows furrowing as he looked in the direction of the entryway. Standing up and straightening his clothing, he said something about checking who it was before he disappeared into the entryway. Noctis watched for a few moments, listening to see if he’d hear any voices to indicate who the mysterious visitor was.

“Your Majesty!” That was definitely Ignis’s startled voice and-- _wait_. What? His dad was here? Noctis quickly swallowed his bite of food and wiped at his mouth with a napkin that he left beside his plate, looking towards the doorway as his father walked into the apartment with Ignis trailing behind him.

Ignis kept glancing at the mess on Noct’s plate consisting of whipped cream and chocolate syrup, clearly worrying about how the King of Lucis would feel about his son having such a sugary and unhealthy breakfast. But Regis didn’t seem bothered in the slightest, eyeing the breakfast with amusement. “Well, well. I’m almost sad I’ve already eaten, and have no room left for what appears to be birthday pancakes.”

Noctis snorted at the embarrassment on Ignis’s face, who murmured something about cleaning before he disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Noctis and Regis some privacy as they moved to the living room. Regis’s attention soon went to Noctis, and a warm smile softened Regis’s hazel eyes in a way that made Noctis feel oddly shy, almost like he was a child again. “Good morning, my son. Happy birthday.”

“Dad… Uh, thank you. But what are you…?”

“Am I not allowed to visit my favorite son on his birthday?” Regis asked with a serious expression, but the mirth in his tone belied any sternness.

“You know that’s not what I meant.” Noct couldn’t hold back his smile. “And I’m your only son.”

“Yes, and a very good one at that. Which is why you’re my favorite son, clearly.”

“ _Dad_.” Noctis groaned with a smile, and Regis only laughed.

“Apologies, my boy.” Regis raised a hand and squeezed Noct’s shoulder. “I wanted us to spend some time together, as it’s your birthday and it’s… been awhile, since we’ve been able to. I understand if you have other plans though, and I wouldn’t want to interrupt any possible--”

“I don’t.” Noctis interrupted, hurrying to clarify, “I don’t have any certain plans for today. I thought we had meetings at the Citadel, though? Plus, don’t we usually have a ball to celebrate birthdays? Wasn’t there one planned for today?”

“Well, yes, but we’ve actually pushed the celebration for tomorrow, the staff is still getting the ballroom ready and I believe the chefs are nearly done with preparations. Don’t worry, it won’t matter too terribly whether the party is on the exact day of your birthday or not, people will still jump at the chance to attend. As for meetings, Cor and Clarus have graciously taken over with seeing to them today.”

“Wait. They actually left you alone? _Clarus_  left your side?”

“I… might have employed Cor’s help in order to slip away.”

Noctis gaped at Regis for a moment before soft chuckles soon escaped his lips at the near-sheepish expression on his father’s face. “I can’t believe you asked Cor to help you give Clarus the slip, and he  _agreed_.”

“I’m sure Clarus will understand, and Cor, albeit begrudgingly, did agree it would be a nice gesture for your birthday, my son.”

“...I… appreciate it. You sure it isn’t too much trouble though? I won’t be upset if you have to return to the Citadel right away--”

“Noctis,” Regis cut in, stopping his son in his tracks. “I promise you, all is well. What is more important is celebrating your birthday together with you. Seeing as you have no plans at the moment, I thought perhaps we could do something that you like. I drove the Regalia here, so we have the option of driving somewhere together, and I know how much you enjoy fishing.”

“You… want to go on a trip? Just the two of us? And you want to go _fishing_?”

“Do you _not_  want to?” Regis asked with an arched brow, and Noct quickly shook his head.

“No, no! It sounds… really nice.”

Regis grinned then, “Good. You can even teach your old father how to fish, if you’d like.”

“It’s not as easy as it looks, just so you know.” Noctis couldn't stop smiling, elated at the prospect of spending time with his father, _and_  teaching him how to fish. Was he dreaming?

“I’m sure I’ll get the hang of it in no time!” Regis shrugged, seemingly unbothered and confident in his abilities. “Besides, I’ll have a great teacher.”

Noctis laughed, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand. “...We’ll see. Hey, Iggy?” Noct raised his voice a bit so it would carry to the kitchen where Ignis presumably still was. “Think you could make some sandwiches or something quick to take for a trip?”

Beneath the formality of his tone, Noctis could still hear the undercurrent of happiness from Ignis. Of course, his oldest friend would understand just how much spending time with his father would mean to him. “Of course, Your Highness.”

 

* * *

 

It was probably for the best that Noctis had told Regis of the destination he had in mind before they set out, a location that Regis blessedly knew how to get to with apparent ease.

“I've spent many a day of my youth exploring our city,” Regis had said with a twinkle in his eye, and Noct had found himself wondering exactly what kind of mischief his father had gotten up to in the past.

When the conversation between them lulled to peaceful silence, the familiar motion of the Regalia, the soft hum of it’s engine, the quiet sounds of the radio and his father’s breathing--it all created a comforting atmosphere that caused Noctis to soon drift off. Being in the Regalia never failed to soothe Noctis to the point of an easy doze as a child, and even as a young adult the effect was still the same. He found himself dreaming of walking through a beautiful meadow as a child, hand-in-hand with his father beside him, fireflies lighting up the area around them.

Noct came to slowly, waking up to the gentle voice of his dad, a hand shaking his shoulder a bit. “Noctis, we’re here.”

“Oh?” Noctis sat up with a yawn, stretching after he clambered out of the car. He gazed at the serene lake past the little dirt road they were parked on, the surrounding area empty save for them and the wildlife. Noct always favored coming here whenever he had the chance to go fishing; the spot was secluded enough so that pretty much no one knew about it, leaving Noct to fish in peace. He glanced back at Regis who was still standing near the Regalia, seemingly fiddling with his phone. “Did you want to start fishing, or would you rather eat something first?”

Regis pocketed his phone, smiling at his son and summoning a fishing rod to his hand. Something about the image of his father standing there, dressed in fancy clothing and prepared to fish, almost made Noctis laugh. “I’m quite eager to give this a go, if you’d be so kind as to assist me, my son.”

Noctis summoned his own fishing rod to his finger tips with a grin. “Gladly.”

Fishing with his father was an experience that Noctis would never forget.

It was probably the most fun he’d had in ages, and it was infinitely better because it was time spent with his _dad_. It had been quiet at first, the two of them lounging in the foldable chairs they had packed in the trunk of the Regalia, the fish barely biting. They filled the silence with idle chatter, Regis asking after Noctis and curious about how his various responsibilities had been going.

And then, of course, somehow Regis managed to land a _very_ big fish that caught the both of them unaware.

One moment, they were sitting and talking contently, the both of them still loosely grasping onto their fishing rods. The next, the rod nearly flew from Regis’s fingers.

“By the _Six_!” Regis muttered a swear, his fast reflexes enabling him to stand and grab the rod before it could go sailing into the water. Noctis was momentarily frozen in shock, both from the suddenness of the apparently strong fish’s bite, and from the fact that his father--the _King of Lucis_  had just cursed. Noctis couldn’t ever recall a time where his father had swore, and Noct would definitely think about the hilarity of it later--right now, his priority was helping his dad with that fish. So Noct abandoned his pole for the moment, quickly moving to Regis’s side and holding onto the fishing rod with him, grunting as the fish tugged at the line again.

“Of _course_  your first fish is a _monster_.” Noctis grumbled out, no heat to his words as he pulled at the rod alongside Regis.

Regis only let out a strained laugh. “I suppose that’s a talent, no?”

“I wouldn’t really describe it as a talent--whoa!” Noct grunted, stumbling backwards as their combined efforts rewarded them with succeeding in reeling in the fish that now lay flailing on the pier. They both stared at the fish for a second, registering the size of the thing before Noct turned to his dad with a grin. “Gods, I think that’s the Giant Speckled Trevally! It’s practically a legend of this lake, I've been trying to catch it for ages! I thought they came out later, no wonder I'd never caught it. Stories said people have only caught glimpses of it, since it’s scales are really visible under the water, but since it’s so big people struggled to catch it, and--”

Noctis trailed off as he registered how his father was staring at him, something impossibly fond in his warm gaze. “...W-what?”

“Nothing, it’s just…” Regis let out a soft chuckle, his eyes seeming a bit shiny. “...It has been some time since I have seen you so animated. I was only thinking that it was nice to see.”

“...Oh.” Noct blinked, feeling oddly embarrassed and averting his gaze. At a loss for words, he instead turned towards the fish, removing the hook from it and struggling to lift it up. Regis placed his fishing rod down and moved to help him, and the two of them managed to put the fish inside the (thankfully) big-enough cooler. Perks of being royalty, Noct supposed, as he saw that even with the huge fish inside the cooler there was still a bit of room for more fish.

Walking back to their chairs, he picked up one of the rods and gave it back to Regis, Noct’s gaze firmly on the water as he sat down. Noctis could still feel Regis’s eyes on him, even as he cast his line again. If he had looked to his dad, Noctis would’ve seen the way Regis was grinning as he noted how the tips of Noct’s ears had gone pink. Regis sat down beside Noct, studying his son’s profile for a moment with a smile that was almost somber. “...You’ve grown well, Noct. You have much of your mother in you, not only in looks, but in your character as well. Your compassion and strength are all of her, and I know you do her proud, for you always make me proud, my son.”

Noct stared at his dad with wide eyes, not having expected the rather heartfelt confession. The warm words made Noct’s chest ache, his throat feeling a bit choked as his eyes stung from holding back sudden tears. It was as if with those simple words, Regis had managed to soothe many of Noctis’s lingering anxieties and doubts. _Will I be a good king someday? Can I protect our people like Dad does? Will I do him proud?_

Noct managed a small smile, willing his tears away and going for a light-hearted tone. “...Some of that strength has to be from you too, right? You’re not the King for nothing.”

Regis laughed at that. “Certainly, I do hope I’ve managed to pass along something useful to you.”

Noctis wanted to argue that Regis had given him more things than he could possibly count, but he couldn’t find the proper words to articulate his feelings, nor could he muster up the courage to give his thoughts a voice. No, perhaps he hadn’t inherited the bravery of his father who stood tall as king day in and day out. But one day, maybe Noct would find the words and the courage would be there at his fingertips, willing him to speak the feelings he kept close to his heart. _Thank you for being a great dad. The future scares me to think about, but I hope I can be a good king like you someday. I wish so badly I could somehow save you from the burden of the kingdom, I want to help you. I want to do you proud. ...I love you, Dad_.

For now though, Noct could at least say something simple, hoping to convey everything he was feeling in that moment through his words: “...Thanks, Dad.”

 

* * *

 

After a few hours, the two royals finally decided to pack up and return to Noctis’s apartment to drop off all the fish that had been caught. Noctis decided to take the wheel this time, letting his dad relax in the driver’s seat.

“Should I be worried?” Regis joked as he buckled his seatbelt, and Noctis frowned in mock offense, his hands still poised on the steering wheel.

“C’mon Dad, have a little faith in me.” Noctis narrowed his eyes as a thought occurred to him. “Did Ignis say something to you?”

“Regarding your driving skills? No, he hasn’t mentioned anything. Should he have?”

“No, Iggy just always worries when he’s not the one in front of the wheel. I drive just fine, but he basically wants me to drive so slowly that we’d barely move.”

Regis chuckled, setting into his set a bit more comfortably, his phone in hand. “I’m sure Ignis only has your safety in mind, Noct. Either way, I trust you and I’m certain you’ll get us back to your apartment just fine.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Noctis said with a smile, pushing down the accelerator a bit and beginning the drive back home.

“How funny. It seems we’ve switched places; so often it was I that drove you around in the Regalia when you were younger, and now you’re the one driving me. Perhaps I should nap as well, to truly do justice to you.” Regis mused, a twinkle in his eyes.

Noctis spared his dad a glance, an amused smirk on his lips. “Another nap? Funny, I totally caught you napping earlier while we were fishing.”

“I was only resting my eyes.”

“Oh, yeah? Long enough for me to get a few pictures?”

“Pictures?” Regis looked surprised before a chuckle escaped him. “I do hope you don’t intend to put those online.”

“Of course, you know how much the press will be all over those pictures? Breaking news, the King of Lucis _sleeps_! More at eleven!”

“Whereas the pictures I took of you while you were napping in the Regalia earlier would be all too familiar, considering how many pictures of you napping in school there seem to be. As I recall, there even exists one with you sleeping at a banquet table during a gala.”

Noct had the decency to look embarrassed. “...In my defense, I’m tired a lot. And that gala was really boring. I was also only a kid!”

“...It’s hard to believe you no longer are a child. How times flies, so quickly it is barely noticeable.” Regis had a fond smile on his face, his voice quiet and filled with emotion. “I can still remember the day you were born with such clarity. Your mother was so overjoyed to finally hold you in her arms, while in comparison I was beside myself with worry that I would somehow hold you incorrectly.”

“Hard to imagine you freaking out about something so… unimportant.”

“It was incredibly important, Noct, I was about to hold my newborn son and didn’t want to mess up somehow!” Regis’s voice was soft, tinged with longing and affection. “But Aulea had only laughed, beckoned me closer to meet you. How sweetly you smiled up at us is something I’ll never forget. For such a small thing, you certainly grabbed onto my finger with surprising strength!”

Noctis huffed in amusement, his cheeks warming with vague bashfulness at the clear adoration in his father’s voice. Regis continued to reminiscence, speaking fondly of Noctis when he had been a baby and wryly retelling stories of some of the shenanigans Noct had gotten into as a child. Throughout the car ride home, Noctis couldn’t stop the happy feeling bubbling within him.

 

* * *

 

“Happy birthday!” Noct froze as he walked into his apartment, the cooler of fish forgotten by his feet and Regis coming to a stop beside him with a smile. From what Noctis could see, the living room and kitchen was decorated with streamers and balloons, a few of Noct’s favorite dishes were on the dining table and some pastry dishes with on the kitchen counter. His friends were grinning, confetti still fluttering through the air around them where they had thrown it.

Noctis supposed he should’ve expected this from his friends, yet the kind notion of throwing him a little party still caught him surprise. Especially because Regis was still smiling as though he had expected this very situation. Turning to his father questioningly, Noct curiously asked, “Dad, did you…?”

“You had to leave your apartment _somehow_ , Noct. It was a delight to go fishing with you, and now here you have the rest of your present for your birthday.”

“The rest of my present?”

“Yes, a quiet night with your friends to celebrate such an important day.” Regis nodded to his son, glancing back to the front door. “I’ll take my leave and allow you some private time with your friends--”

“You don’t have to!” Noct quickly blurted out, before freezing in surprise, as though he hadn’t meant to say the words. Or at least, not so enthusiastically. “...It’s, uh. If you want to stick around, that’d be cool with me? Besides, you should try some of the cake, right? If Iggy made everything, then it’s definitely delicious.”

“Highness, my cooking could never compare to the Citadel cooks!”

Noctis paid Ignis’s comment no mind, only continuing, “You could stay longer if you want to, Dad. If… I mean, I’m sure everyone’s cool with it?”

Gladio cleared his throat, straightening up and bowing his head respectfully towards Regis. “It would be an honor, Your Majesty.”

“I agree, Your Majesty, only if it pleases you,” Ignis said, bowing to the monarch.

Prompto looked a little flustered, glancing between Ignis and Gladio before he hastily bowed forward too. “A-agreed! ...Y-your Majesty!”

“See?” Noct had a small smile on his face, one that was fragile with hope and disappointed understanding all in one. “...If you’re busy though, I get it. Wouldn’t want to keep you from your duties.”  

Regis stared at his son for a moment, indescribable emotion flickering through his gaze before it melted into fondness, a warm smile on his face as he reached out a hand and squeezed Noct’s shoulder reassuringly. “I would love to stay, my son.”

The smile that graced Noct’s lips then, one so genuine and warm that it not only made him seem younger and unburdened but made his loved ones smile in return at the sight, didn’t leave his face even as the night went on. (Prompto even snapped a few pictures, showing Regis at the King’s request and agreeing to send some to him). It was definitely a quiet night inside, one that Noct would never forget.

He got to play a few videogames with his friends and even _Regis_ tried his hand at a few rounds of the racing games and the brawl games. Somehow, Regis had managed to beat them all during one round of the brawl game, and Noctis didn’t think he’d ever seen his dad look so smug before. The food, of course, was delicious and Ignis had even managed to whip up a quick dish with some of the fish Noctis and Regis had caught. (Regis had complimented Ignis’s cooking and Noctis managed to convince Prompto to snap a picture of Ignis looking ten seconds away from either combusting or crying from being praised so highly by the king). It was an overall extremely relaxing and fun night.

The gifts Noctis received were all ones he appreciated: games he had been wanting, new weapons, framed pictures, even a gag gift of an alarm clock that recited popular phrases from Assassin’s Creed.

In private, though, when his friends were busy preparing the cake in the kitchen, Regis took Noctis aside to give him a special, personal gift. A beautiful silver watch, and when Noctis turned it over, he noticed a message engraved into the metal.

“Ad Astra Per Aspera,” Regis murmured, “It means, “To the stars through difficulties”. A love of the stars is something your mother and I shared, and often in times of hardship, we would look to the stars to calm us. I had this phrase engraved in hopes of reminding you that if you ever found yourself struggling with any doubts or difficulties, to look to the stars, and perhaps their beauty would aid you in finding peace.”

“Dad…” Noctis breathed out, running his fingers over the engraving with an awed look in his eyes.

Regis smiled softly at Noct. “Before Aulea passed, she used to tell me to look to the stars to find her, for it was there that she would be watching over the both of us and smiling. I hope you can do the same, my son.”

“...Yeah, Dad, I will. ...Thanks.”

When Noctis went to sleep that night after everyone had finally gone home (though not without promises to see him the next day), he was met with peaceful dreams with an old friend who greeted him with a happy chirp and a crown of flowers carefully carried by its mouth.  

_Long time no see! I’m so glad you’ve had a great day!!_

Noct grinned down at the message on his phone, kneeling down to gently pet the fox-like Astral who preened under the attention. “Thanks, Carbuncle. This day… has been the best.”

A dancing emoji popped up on Noct’s phone screen before Carbuncle gracefully hopped up to deposit the flower crown on Noct’s head, happily curling around Noct’s shoulders as it settled down. The two of them moved through a peaceful meadow, Noctis marvelling as fireflies fluttered around them, their light a different kind of beauty compared to the bright stars shining in the sky.  

His phone beeped with another message, one that made him smile and let out a content sigh: _Happy birthday, Noctis_!

  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! :D
> 
> You can find me on [tumblr](http://midnightninja14.tumblr.com) here!
> 
> Also if any of you read "With You Always", I swear I'm still working on it! ;;;;


End file.
